The Complete Stranger Shikamaru One Shot My Friend
by GirlwAttitude
Summary: Yukika's hate for shinobi runs deep and goes far back in her life. But because her mother and she are dependant on a shinobi family, she meets a very strange boy, who changes her life completely.


It was one of those stormy days again in Konohagakure

It was one of those stormy days again in Konohagakure. Yukika watched the drops of rain run down the window, counting the ones that hit the sill, as another flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky. She sighed as the drops started hitting the sill quicker than she could count. How she hated rain, water in general! She couldn't explain why, it was just fact.  
"Yukika! Come and dry off the plates!"  
Her mother's voice was strained and agitated. The girl rolled her eyes as she heaved up onto her feet. They were expecting some "very important" visitors later on in the day. 2 shinobi of the Nara clan. Her face darkened slightly. Shinobi, another thing she couldn't stand. They were arrogant, untalented pricks, who thought themselves worth more than the rest of the people living in Konoha.  
Yukika stepped into the warm kitchen, her mother pulling out a deliciously smelling cake from the oven.  
"You shouldn't make such a fuss. They're just ninja..." The girl commented, picking up a plate and rubbing it off with a towel.  
"I know you have no high opinion of these people, but I'm counting on you being polite at least. Don't speak if you're not asked, but give answer when they do address you in any way!"  
Yukika snorted softly, grabbing the next plate and rubbing it a bit more ferociously than the last.  
"They need us. It doesn't matter how we treat them" She muttered under her breath.  
It was true, the great Nara clan needed their little family. Yukika and her mother were the only people who grew the rare Yuki flower. A beautiful white flower, that grew only in Yukigakure, where their family originally was from. It's leaves had extraordinary healing powers and was used frequently in medicines. It was this flower that Yukika had received her name from.  
Her mother sighed loudly.  
"You may be right. But we depend on them wanting it, so don't mess up!"  
Yukika put the last plate into the shelves and threw the towel down on the work top.  
"Whatever" She said and left her mother to mess around with the cake.  
Yukika stomped up the stairs to her room, each step showing her rage. For her, being dependant on a shinobi family was the farthest down they could get.  
_One day, I'll make my own medicines and sell them to greater people than them!_  
It was her dream, to get away from all ninja influence one day.  
She dropped down onto her bed and stared up through the ceiling window, the rain still beating down mercilessly. A flash of lightning appeared in the sky once more and Yukika felt her heart miss a beat.  
A sudden loud knock on the door downstairs made her sit up quickly. They couldn't be here already!  
"Yukika! Get down here now, quickly!" Her mother yelled.  
Yes, they were here after all.  
Her eyes narrowed. The evening of torture had just begun.

"Mr. Nara! Please come in!"  
"Please, call me Shikaku! We've known each other long enough"  
The man scratched the back of his head awkwardly, laughing heartily. Yukika took a closer look at the seemingly friendly man. He wore his hair in a pony tail and a lot of fishnet covered his body. Something typical for a ninja she knew. What made her suspicious were the two scars running over one side of his face. A small goatee didn't make him look any better.  
"Oh may I introduce you to my son! Shikamaru" He grabbed hold of a boy Yukika's age, who looked as thrilled to be where he was as she did.  
His hair was pulled back as well, a green vest like his father's resting on his shoulders. He looked very much like his father all in all. The only thing that was completely different was the look on his face. Where his father looked almost menacing, this boy looked like he couldn't hurt a fly. Or better put, was too bored and lazy to.  
"Nice to meet you Shikamaru!" Her mother chirruped in that annoyingly friendly voice.  
The boy glanced at her, and nodded slowly.  
"This is my daughter Yu..."  
"Oi, can't you at least say something you arrogant bastard?"  
Yukika had stepped in front of Shikamaru, glaring up at him. He was a good head taller than she was. His bored gaze didn't change as his eyes shifted down to her.  
"And you troublesome person are?"  
It was the first he had spoken, his voice slow and deep.  
"My mother's being friendly and all that for you! You could at least say hello!" Yukika jabbed her finger into his chest. "I've always said it, you shinobi are too proud to show politeness..."  
Shikamaru smirked slightly at her words.  
"I don't see any politeness from you"  
Yukika opened her mouth, but she found no counter.  
"I do apologize for my daughter's brashness!!" Her mother grabbed her mouth to shut Yukika up before she could say anymore. "She has learned differently!"  
"Don't worry about it. I should apologize for my son's apartheid attitude..." Shikaku slapped his son over the head.  
"Ouch" The boy rubbed his head.  
"Come into the kitchen, I'll make you some coffee!" Her mother suggested quickly. "Yukika, take Shikamaru up to your room and find something to occupy yourselves with!"  
"But Mum, I..."  
"I don't want to hear anything, just do it!"  
Yukika muttered curses under her breath. This was getting even worse than she'd thought.  
Ignoring Shikamaru, she strutted up the stairs. Footsteps followed her some feet behind.  
Once in her room she slammed the door shut after he'd entered.  
"Don't think I'm doing this because I want to!" She snapped angrily.  
"One thing we think alike on"  
Yukika narrowed her eyes at the indifferent boy.  
"How old are you?" She asked, arms crossed in front of her chest.  
"Does that have any relevance?" He retorted, gaze fixing on hers.  
"Curious. Not many of your kind wear vests like that!"  
"My kind? And what would that be?"  
"Shinobi, ninja, whatever one wants to call you!" She answered snidely, not hiding her disgust.  
Shikamaru's smirk appeared again and he sat down on her bed.  
"17"  
Yukika raised a brow. He was a year older, only a year older.  
"And I'm a chuunin, which is not a very high rank at all. It's what nearly all of "my kind" get to in their life"  
"What else is there?" Yukika asked, hiding her curiosity as best she could.  
"Well, after chuunin, you can take the exams to become jounin. As a jounin you can become a sensei and teach genin, which are shinobi in training." He started to explain.  
"I know what a genin is!" She snapped.  
Shikamaru just blinked at her.  
"If you're a good jounin you can either become an Elite jounin or an ANBU. And even in the ranks of the ANBU, you can become a captain, ANBU Black Op or ANBU Root." Shikamaru paused, his gaze never leaving Yukika's.  
"Is that all?" She asked, this time showing her interest.  
"You seem very interested in the topic, for all the hate you showed just a few minutes ago"  
The girl looked away from his quickly.  
"It's just fascinating how you people have to rank yourselves!"  
"Mhm"  
"Don't say that! It drives me mad!" She snapped.  
"Mhm"  
"I SAID DON'T!!" She screeched.  
His eyes widened slightly at her outburst.  
"What?" She snapped. "Scared?"  
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes and got up, walking toward a surprised Yukika.  
"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, and edge of panic in her voice. "Stay where you are! Don't come any closer!"  
But the shinobi ignored her warnings. He came closer and closer and she backed away with each one of his steps, until her back met the door to her room.  
Shikamaru stopped in front of her, only inches away and leaned down suddenly.  
Yukika gulped and closed her eyes tightly.  
"I think it's you who's scared of me" He whispered into her ear, his breath tickling the side of her neck. "Why do you hate us shinobi so much? Tell me"  
She opened her eyes again, looking over his shoulder. Her eyes softened as he leaned back again to look at her. She hung her head, a distant look on her face.  
"You possess chakra and in no little quantities either" He commented.  
Yukika hid her eyes in her bangs. This was the first time since years she was speaking to a shinobi. It felt strange and woke bad memories.  
"I...We used to live in Yukigakure. My father sent to me the Ninja Academy, and they took me. I learned all the basics there, until my dad was killed and we moved here." She started. "I wanted to keep on with my training as a ninja, so I applied to enter the Academy here..."  
Yukika looked up into his brown eyes, tears stinging in her own.  
"They wouldn't let me continue! They told me I was too weak and wouldn't be able to keep up Konohan standards!"  
Shikamaru's normally indifferent face changed to one of sympathy.  
"That is why, when I see a shinobi I keep thinking that that could be me! And I ask myself what makes them so much better than me..."  
Tears started running down her cheeks, and she pushed her back against the wall for support. She felt stupid. She never showed weakness, never!  
Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrapped her up in a soft hug, pulling her up against the chest.  
She stood very still, shocked and lost for words.  
"We're not all the way you think. Some of us, like me, don't deserve to be shinobi, it's true. I always thought it too troublesome to become one, but here I am. And becoming a shinobi isn't everything you know..."  
Yukika stayed silent. She had just opened to a complete stranger, just as he had to her, a complete stranger.  
"I'm sure, if they'd have taken you, I'd have failed my exams left, right and centre!"  
Yukika couldn't help but laugh at this comment.  
"So, Shikamaru, tell me. What is the highest rank a shinobi can obtain?" She asked.  
He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

Rest in Results --  
"Kage"  
Yukika whipped her tears away and smiled at him for the first time.  
"Then that's what you will become one day!" She said. "And I will help you!  
Shikamaru smiled back at her.  
"You're such a weird and troublesome girl!"


End file.
